Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Croutons

This Butternut Squash Soup with Sage and Croutons is tasty, hearty, and perfect for chilly fall or winter nights. Butternut Squash Soup can often be too sweet, but ours is perfectly balanced with lots of fresh sage, crunchy parmesan croutons, and a secret ingredient that makes it extra creamy and rich. It’s easy and you’ll feel like a pro after making it.

Author: Cooking with Conks

Meal Type: Peanuts Free

Cuisine: American

Difficulty: EASY

Prep. Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 1 hour 10 minutes

Total Time: 1 hour 25 minutes

Servings: 6 Servings

Calories: 321 kcal per serving

Ingredients

1 - butternut squash
1 - yellow or sweet onion
2 - carrots
1 - shallot
2 tablespoons - olive oil or butter
¼ tsp - crushed red pepper
10 - fresh sage leaves
Cracked black pepper
½ tsp - salt
6 cups - vegetable broth
1 cup - half and half or heavy cream
¼ cup - crème fraîche
1 tbsp - maple syrup
Olive oil
2 cups - baguette or ciabatta
2 tablespoons - olive oil
¼ cup - parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper

Instructions

Preheat the oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with parchment.
Brush the open sides of the squash with olive oil and season with a pinch of salt and pepper.
Place squash face-down on the baking sheet and roast for 50 minutes or until soft. Remove from oven when done.
While the squash is roasting, add olive oil or butter to a large soup pot.
Add shallots, onion, carrots, sage, salt, pepper, and crushed red pepper. Cook for 5-7 minutes.
Add broth, cover pot, and cook for about 15-20 minutes or until veggies fully soften.
To make the croutons, add the cubed bread to a second parchment lined baking sheet while the soup is cooking and the squash is roasting. Toss the bread with olive oil, parmesan, salt and pepper, and bake in the same 400°F oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden brown and toasted. Remove from the oven and set aside to cool.
Scoop out the roasted squash from the skin and add it to the soup pot. Blend the soup with an immersion blender or regular blender until smooth.
Blend in 1 cup of half and half, ¼ cup crème fraîche, and 1 tbsp of maple syrup.
Taste the soup for seasoning, then ladle into bowls and top with croutons and more crème fraîche, if desired.

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